The use of mobile technology at the bedside is increasing in hospitals, but does this present a new infection prevention risk and how should this be effectively managed?
Mobile technology has made hospital doctors more efficient and improved patient care. But an iPad, carried from ward to ward, can also be a means of spreading infection. Mike Casey, CEO of FutureNova and a former NHS Chief Information Officer (CIO), argues that the introduction of mobile technology should go hand-in-hand with a strategic approach to infection control.
Before the advent of modern medicine, a stay in hospital was a risky business – in a crowded, dirty ward, an infection could spread like wildfire. The introduction of good hygiene practices, followed by the development of penicillin, resulted in a dramatic fall in infection rates.
The rise in antibiotic-resistant diseases such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile a few years ago put hospitals on the back foot, however. Although robust efforts to tackle the spread of these diseases have seen rates tumble, even now 300,000 NHS patients in England develop a healthcare– associated infection (HCAI) every year.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
